Duke, this year’s ACC men’s champion, will begin its quest for the 2026 March Madness title in the first round against Siena College. Duke is one of four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament (the others are Michigan State, Arizona State and Florida State); Siena is ranked No. 16. The game will take place on Thursday, March 19 at 2:50 PM ET, and you can watch all the action on CBS and Paramount+ (Premium plans only).
We’ve got you covered with a list of key men’s NCAA tournament dates, teams and how to watch every March Madness game. Here’s how to watch the entire tournament, from the first round all the way to the championship final.
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How to watch Duke vs. Siena:
date: March 19, 2026
frequency: 2:50 p.m. Eastern Time
TV channel: cbs
Streaming media: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Paramount+ and more
When will the first round game between Duke University and Siena University be held??
Duke’s game against Siena will be Thursday, March 19, at 2:40 p.m. ET.
Where to watch Duke vs. Siena:
CBS airs the first-round game between Duke and Siena.
Where to live broadcast Duke vs. Siena game without cable:
Thursday’s Duke vs. Siena game will be streamed live on Paramount+ Premium. You can also watch every men’s March Madness game on live TV services like DirecTV and YouTube TV.
Paramount+ offers subscribers a host of sports events, including this year’s March Madness men’s basketball games as well as the NFL, football and more. Plus, you can watch great shows like survivor, challenge etc.
There are two Paramount+ levels to choose from: the ad-supported Basic plan (usually $9.99/month) or the ad-free Premium plan with Showtime (usually $13.99/month), which also gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to local CBS stations, and full streaming access to Showtime.
From now until March 31, you’ll only pay $2.99 per month for the first two months for the Basic or Premium plans. After the discount period ends, you can continue paying your regular monthly fee or cancel. This offer is available to new customers and select returning customers who subscribe through certain third-party websites, please see offer for specific information.
Which teams will compete in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship?
Here’s a breakdown of the schedule for each first-round game, including who will be competing and how to watch.
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All times Eastern
Thursday, March 19
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12:15pm: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
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12:40pm: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
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1:30 pm: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
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1:50 pm: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
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2:50pm: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
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3:15pm: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
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4:05 pm: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State
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4:25pm: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
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6:50 pm: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
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7:10pm: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
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7:25pm: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or North Carolina (TBS)
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7:35pm: No. 7 Saint Mary’s University vs. No. 10 Texas A&M University (TruTV)
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9:25pm: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn State (TNT)
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9:45pm: No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 St. Louis (CBS)
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10pm: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
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10:10pm: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
Friday, March 20
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12:15pm: No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
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12:40pm: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
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1:35pm: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Liu (TNT)
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1:50 pm: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
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2:50 pm: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
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3:15pm: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
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4:10 pm: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State University (TNT)
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4:25pm: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio State) or SMU (TBS)
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6:50 pm: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
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7:10pm: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
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7:25pm: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
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7:35pm: No. 2 Purdue University vs. No. 15 Queen’s University (TruTV)
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9:25pm: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida State (TNT)
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9:45pm: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 California Baptist (CBS)
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10pm: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
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10:10pm: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)
2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule:
Men’s match schedule and locations:
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Sunday Selection: Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET on CBS
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Top four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
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First round: Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
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Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
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Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
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Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
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Top Four: Saturday, April 4, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
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NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 6, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
